The expansion of the agricultural frontier in the northern Amazon region of Ecuador, 2000–2011: Process, causes, and impact

Abstract

The Amazon forest has been characterized as one of the areas with the most extraordinary biodiversity in the world. However, the implementation of public policies throughout history has been one cause of an increasing presence of farmers who exert pressure on resources. The need to determine agricultural frontier growth and document the problem has been addressed by many authors who have focused their research on methodologies based on the use of geographic information systems. However, an approach based on quantitative and qualitative data could be constructive in validating and/or complementing such studies. In our case, from a historical contextualization, we identify the main causes of agricultural frontier expansion and, by analyzing information compiled from surveys and interviews, attempt to establish its main impacts. We found that the rate of deforestation for the period under review is at odds with rates determined by other methodologies. We also conclude that rapid population growth and the implementation of government projects in the area have led, first, to a division of land (farms) and a change in land use and, second, to a significant reduction in the forest cover.